Vignoli Hand-Painted Ceramic Bowl – Geometric Design 4

DESCRIPTION

A small hand-painted bowl by the Vignoli sisters of Faenza, 3″ x 5″, in blue with a geometric design and a copper glaze. Sized for nuts, olives, sweets or salt at the table, and good enough to leave out empty.

The geometry comes out of mosaic work — the tessellated patterning of Byzantine and early Italian floors and walls, reduced to a few repeating shapes. Faenza sits in the part of Italy where that tradition is thickest, and the Vignoli sisters have been reworking it in a modern register for years.

The copper finish is drawn up out of the surface during firing, so it shifts as the light moves and no two bowls come out the same.

The small imperfections such as the difference in color, shape, diameter or small bubbles that form inside, do not constitute a defect but testify that it is actually an artisanal product.

Specifications

Dimensions: 3″ x 5″
Material: Hand-painted Italian ceramic with copper glaze
Made in: Faenza, Emilia-Romagna
Workshop: Vignoli — Saura and Ivana Vignoli
Pattern: Geometric Design 4, blue and copper
Heritage: Faenza, where ceramics have been an economic backbone of the region for five centuries
Care: Hand-wash recommended · Not dishwasher, microwave or oven safe
Sold as: individual, one-of-a-kind
Mixes with: Vignoli plates and espresso cups, Blue Carnation from Faenza, Iva Boccali, plain white

Questions buyers ask

What size is it really?
3″ tall by 5″ across — a nut, olive or sweet bowl rather than a serving bowl. Also used as a catch-all by a bedside or a desk.

Where does the geometric pattern come from?
Mosaic work — the tessellated patterning of Byzantine and early Italian floors, reduced to repeating shapes. It is the other half of the Vignoli repertoire alongside the fish designs.

Is every piece different?
Yes. The copper finish comes out of the firing, so no two bowls are alike. The bowl you receive is the one in the photograph.

Can it go in the dishwasher?
No. Hand-wash — copper-glazed surfaces do not belong in a dishwasher.

Is this a good Italian wedding gift?
Yes, as a small gift or paired with a Vignoli plate. It suits a couple who already own dinnerware and need nothing matched.

Is this a good housewarming or hostess gift?
Yes — small, inexpensive relative to its presence, and used constantly.

Why buy Italian gifts from Biordi rather than other retailers?
Biordi Art Imports has been San Francisco’s source for authentic Italian ceramics since 1946 and is a San Francisco Legacy Business (#LBR-2020-21-029). Pieces are bought directly from the Italian workshops that make them — FIMA, CF Deruta, Pia Formato, Eugenio Ricciarelli, Susanna DeSimone, Geribi, Bucci Ceramiche, Ortigia Sicilia, Italesse, and Salviati among them. Nothing comes through a distributor.

Can this be customized or personalized?
Vignoli pieces are one-of-a-kind and are not personalized. Customization and personalization are available on select pieces. Eugenio Ricciarelli, FIMA, Pia Formato, Geribi, and CF Deruta accept special orders — a name, date, or occasion painted on the piece, or a different size or shape in the workshop’s existing pattern. Lead time is typically 3–6 months because each piece is hand-painted to order in Italy. Contact Biordi Art Imports at (415) 392-8096 or [email protected].

Artisan Story

Geometric design — Patterning drawn from mosaic tradition, paired with the workshop’s copper glaze.

Vignoli, Faenza (Emilia-Romagna) — Saura and Ivana Vignoli are Biordi’s most artistic pair of ceramicists. Their geometric patterns and fish designs, paired with the copper finish, give a modern Italian aesthetic that sits apart from traditional majolica. The Vignoli pattern is part of Biordi’s Faenza collection — a town where ceramics formed an economic backbone of the region for five centuries.